West Texas Missioner

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Committed to the Calling: "Home Assignment"

I met Brett and Shelly Faucett when they were mission co-workers living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, during my own church's mission to that country in 2008. At the time, they were HIV/AIDS regional consultants. Brett is a nurse and amateur photographer. Shelly, a former literacy specialist and ESL teacher. They had their two daughters, Acacia and Annapurna, with them. Earlier this year, the Faucett family returned to the United States.

"Home Assignment"

"Sunshine and surfing! We wanted to let everyone know that we are on home assignment and back in California. Acacia and Anna have already spent a week at surf camp and are loving the beach.

We look forward to reconnecting with friends, family and churches."

• CLICK HERE for the rest of this post at their "Committed to the Calling" blog

Invitation to Prayer: TOMORROW

In the News ... "‘Duck Dynasty’ star packs Odessa church"

By Michelle Brownstone, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Willie Robertson wants you to know his family isn’t a bunch of quacks.

The ‘Duck Dynasty’ star said the secret to his family's success is keeping priorities in line regarding faith, family and in their case, ducks, Sunday morning at Odessa's Crossroads Fellowship.

“We don’t measure success by how much money we have,” Robertson said. “We judge our success really through our family… we measure success by having the platform now of being able to go all over the country and talk about things that are important to us.”

Robertson spoke to more than 5,000 people during three services Sunday, Crossroads Fellowship Lead Pastor Griffin Jones said.

• read the rest of this story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2013 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the question of Jesus to his disciples, “How many loaves have you?” from Mark 6:38. The book is filled with stories of God’s abundance in the face of overwhelming needs and a scarcity of resources.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 17, 2013

PRESBYTERY OF NEWTON, NEW JERSEY - There is a place where God is at work creating new possibilities, where mission—as love in action—receives top priority, where the divisions between us are being bridged in faith and many have made sacrifices for the greater good.

This place is Highlands Presbyterian Church. Following the merger of three struggling congregations in the Presbytery of Newton in the spring of 2009, God has been at work full-time creating new realities. The first task for the new session of Highlands was to discern a mission statement for the new congregation. They felt led to choose “a visible presence of God’s love in the world.”

CLICK HERE to read more.

THE 2014 PRESBYTERIAN MISSION YEARBOOK - Where are the young adults? How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

CLICK HERE for more information, and to purchase a copy

Monday, September 16, 2013

ChinaAid: "First day in appeal hearing of religious case of Ye county ends with little progress"

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

First day in appeal hearing of religious case of Ye county ends with little progress

Distributed by ChinaAid, August, 2013 ...

PINGDINGSHAN, HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA – The appeal hearing for the religious case in Pingdingshan, Ye, Henan Province began at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 29 at Ye County Court. Thirteen lawyers were present to defend the seven Christian defendants’ innocence. The defense lawyers are Wang Hui, Yang Xingquan, Lu Jinyong, Zhao Yonglin, Chen Jian’gang, Li Guisheng, Xu Ping, Xiao Fanghua, Fan Biaowen, Wang Hongjie, Zhang Jinhong, Xu Weijin and Zhang Peihong.

At 10 a.m., dozens of the defendants’ family members gathered outside the Ye County Court, but were told they would not be able to enter the courtroom.

• more on this story from China Aid

Invitation to Prayer: Wednesday

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

With Clearer Eye

If only I could see today,
     In everyone that comes my way,
A child of God, though dimly drawn,
     Then no one, Lord, would be a pawn
To use in any scheme of mine,
     However grand, or warped design …

If only, passing on the street,
In every stranger I may meet …
     The businessman who rushes by,
     The homeless one, with downcast eye,
     The mother with the child in tow,
     The rowdy kids that laughing go,
     The actress with her haughty look,
     The student with his bag and book …

A child of Thine, I could discern,
     The heart in me, oh Lord, would burn
To look on each with kind regard,
     And not with looks indifferent, hard.
In each, if only I might see
     The essence of humanity
And godliness, though blurred the grace;
     For all that breathe reflect God’s face.
Oh, let me see with clearer eye —
A child of God just walked on by.
       William Deerfield

Bedside Prayers: Prayers and Poems for When You Rise and Go to Sleep
by June Cotner

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

I hope you will be able to join the Faces of Children prayer group as we pray that all children might know the joy and wonder of our Creator ... that they might experience God’s presence in those times when they feel most alone, this coming Wednesday, September 18, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride’s room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, with lunch ($5) and fellowship to follow.

If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Grace and peace,

Chris

In the News ... "Ministry reaches out to OC students"

OA Photo by Mark Sterkel

By Michelle Brownstone, Reporter
Odessa American

MIDLAND, TEXAS - When Odessa College student Simon Clarke was moving into his dorm last year he received a very welcome surprise.

“I was moving in and (Christ on Campus) helped me and other students get set up,” Clarke, student body president of the organization and starting first baseman on the OC baseball team, said. “They made me feel welcomed. Not knowing anyone, it helped because they were genuinely nice and asked my name.”

Redeemer Lutheran Church of Joy, 824 E. 18th St., started the outreach program in Odessa almost three years ago to make students, like Clarke, feel more at home.

• read the rest of this story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - Since 1666, Presbyterians in Newark have planted dozens of congregations. Each of these gathered and sent out transformed citizens who helped civic, commercial, and educational institutions flourish in Jesus’ name.

Today the presbytery boldly asks, “Why can’t the next 100 years be as life-giving and world-changing as the past?” Though a difficult journey, sessions are abandoning church survival models to explore new expressions of faithful, growing ministries .

CLICK HERE to read more.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

IT'S ON ... The Match-and-Match is Back ... so let's get rolling!

Founded in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, FWM works around the world in partnership with a vast network of humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope.

The new and improved model!

Buy ONE wheelchair for $72, and send FOUR! Magic? No. What's 's happening is that local supporters of the Free Wheelchair Mission have once again arranged for "double matching funds" for contributions received from right now, until the end of October.

Want to take one for a test drive? During normal business hours, visit the lobby at the Texas Street entrance of First Presbyterian Church-Midland, at the northwest corner of Texas and A streets, on the west side of downtown Midland. You can give the gift of mobility. The cost of $72.00 is a bargain to us ... but it is a life-changing gift to impoverished and disabled recipients ... and for a limited time, your contribution will be matched ... and matched again ... reaching not one, but FOUR recipients.

Please note on your check "Wheelchair Matching Gift."

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

MINUTE FOR MISSION: THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION / SEMINARY - One of the most exciting places to be these days is on the campus of one of our 10 PC(USA) seminaries. As the school year begins, students stretch out on blankets to read Calvin or Augustine, Mark’s Gospel, or an introduction to pastoral care. Men and women of different ages, races, and cultural backgrounds gather for class and for worship and later sit clustered under the trees in intense debate regarding the theories of atonement or the future of the church.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Celebrating "Theological Education/Seminary Sunday," tomorrow at First Prez, Midland

Sunday, September 15^th is Theological Education/Seminary Sunday. The Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes, president of Princeton Theological Seminary, will be our special guest preacher in all morning services at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas .

Profile

M. Craig Barnes is the seventh president of Princeton Theological Seminary. He began his presidency in January 2013, and also serves as professor of pastoral ministry. Barnes earned his Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Seminary in 1981 and his Ph.D. in church history from the University of Chicago in 1992.

Before becoming president of Princeton, Barnes was a chaired professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary while also serving as the pastor and head of staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church. He previously served pastorates in Madison, Wisconsin, and at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. He is a frequent lecturer and preacher at conferences, academic gatherings, and in congregations across the country. He is the author of eight books and serves as a columnist for The Christian Century.

His writing and academic work reflect his deep commitment to the theological formation of pastors to lead the church in changing times.

Major Publications

Body and Soul: Reclaiming the Heidelberg Catechism (Faith Alive Publishers, 2012)
The Pastor as Minor Poet (Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008)
Searching for Home (Brazos Press, A Division of Baker Book House Company, 2003)
An Extravagant Mercy (Servant Publications, Vine Books, 2003)
Sacred Thirst (Zondervan Publishing House, 2001)
Hustling God (Zondervan Publishing House, 1999)
When God Interrupts (InterVarsity Press, 1996)
Yearning (InterVarsity Press, 1991)

First Presbyterian Church is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Texas and Illinois streets, on the west edge of downtown Midland.

"Duck Dynasty" Coming to Crossroads, Odessa TOMORROW

Join Crossroads Fellowship, Odessa September 15th for a Sunday like no other! Willie Robertson will bring you a behind-the-scenes look at the family of the hit show Duck Dynasty.

This Louisiana bayou family operates a booming family business, and also employs half their neighborhood. At the end of the day, you can find the whole family around matriarch Miss Kay’s dinner table.

Don’t miss a chance to see how faith, family, and ducks built a dynasty, and experience a special brand of Southern know-how and down-home sense of humor that will encourage you and your family far into the future!

No admission charge.

Fun for the whole family.

Childcare available at 8:00am service for 0-3 years, and 0-3rd grade for the 9:30 & 11:00am services.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION WEEK: PRESBYTERY OF NEW YORK CITY - From tall-steeple “Avenue churches” in Manhattan to new immigrant fellowships worshiping in rental spaces, the Presbyterian witness in New York City is as varied and vibrant as the city’s neighborhoods. Faith Presbyterian Church in Maspeth, Queens, has outgrown its building and now rents additional commercial space for its burgeoning ministry among Korean Americans. Olivet Presbyterian Church in Staten Island converts its only church school classroom into an eight-bed women’s shelter and hosts dinners, parties, and outings that bring congregation members and shelter guests together.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Friday, September 13, 2013

In the News ... "Local Church to Send Missionaries to Jordan"

Macey Meriggi, Reporter
KOSA-TV

MIDLAND-ODESSA, TEXAS - Syria has been at war for about two years now and Mid Cities Church has decided it's time to send a group of missionaries and medical professionals to a safe haven in Jordan. Mid Cities held a fundraiser to send help to this war-stricken area.

• read the rest of this story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION WEEK: PRESBYTERY OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY - In the fall of 2011, the Presbytery of New Brunswick’s Urban Mission Cabinet—12 Presbyterian congregations committed to ministry in Trenton and New Brunswick—opened its first House of Hospitality, a communal living space in the former Bethany Church parish house. Deep in the heart of the Chambersburg section of Trenton, Bethany House stands as an intentional community that draws on the tradition of service and justice that the presbytery understands to be at the core of our faith commitments. The young adults who live in Bethany House covenant to live simply, to participate in a communal way of life, and to faithfully explore both new and ancient spiritual practices, all while engaging the neighborhood where they live and the organizations that they serve.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

A special announcement from "Faces of Children"

Special Announcement: Meetings Hosting Syrian Believers

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessors,

Pastor Getaneh Getaneh, one of our local Faces prayer partners, would like to extend an invitation to you to hear from several Syrian Christians affected by the civil conflict in their country. Please see the list of opportunities below.

Blessings,

Chris Cain Laufer
Director, Faces of Children
800 W. Texas, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 684-7821 • claufer@facesofchildren.net

Midland has a Special Opportunity

Syrian Believers are being brought to Midland ...
Wednesday Sept 18-19th

... to connect with the Body of Christ here and to give an update on the situation of believers in Syria. They are coming most especially to ask for prayer. Please come to one of these special times if you are able and get the word out. Here is their schedule.

For more information & to RSVP & call (432) 352-3973.

Wednesday
Noon Lunch at First Presbyterian in Midland
Please RSVP by Monday Sept.16th

Prayer at Pastor Getaneh's
2:00pm - 4:00pm
903 Ventura Ave

6:30pm Cornerstone Christian Fellowship
located on Midland Dr.

Thursday
Brunch 9:45am-noon
Aldridge Gardens
located 3300 N Fairgrounds Rd Midland
Please RSVP by Monday Sept. 16th

They leave directly after the brunch.

Faces of Children: Prayer Concerns for This Week

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the Week of 9/12/13

Burma, Bangladesh

• Continue to pray for peace between two ethnic groups in Burma’s northwestern Rakhine (formerly Arakan) State. Animosity between the predominately Buddhist Rakhine and the predominately Muslim Rohingya goes back many years to when the Rohingya first came to Burma from Bangladesh. Last year’s violence between these two ethnic groups left 140,000 homeless, mostly Rohingya, and at least 192 dead. Pray for reconciliation and understanding between these two ethnic people groups.
• Please continue in prayer for the estimated 800,000 Rohingya children and families that live in abject poverty near Burma’s western border with Bangladesh. Pray for the estimated 300,000 Rohingya refugees who are believed to live in Bangladesh. The Rohingya are denied citizenship in both Burma and Bangladesh.
• Pray for children affected by recent violence between police and Rohingya Muslims. Oppressive, apartheid-like policies, instituted after last year’s violence, have segregated the Buddhist Rakhine from the Muslim Rohingya. • Pray for Rohingya children and families who have been forced into primitive camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) and have little hope of being resettled elsewhere. Pray for IDP children and families who lack access to medical facilities, latrines, shelters, blankets, and regular food distribution.
• more on this request
• Pray the government of Burma will have a change of heart towards the Rohingya who are restricted from moving freely, finding jobs, accessing basic services like healthcare and food aid, or having more than two children.

Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey

• Continue to keep the children and people of Syria close in prayer during this very difficult, violent period in their country. Pray for the families of those killed in this sectarian civil war. An estimated 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict; 7,000 were children.
• more on this request
• Pray for the estimated 4.25 million people, almost half of whom are children, who are displaced within Syria because of this conflict.
• Pray for the more than 2 million Syrians, 1 million of whom are children, who have sought refuge in neighboring Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. Please pray for the 3,500 unaccompanied children who have fled Syria and crossed into neighboring countries. Pray God will protect vulnerable refugee children from being sexually exploited or trafficked; from being sold into labor, early marriage, or prostitution.
• more on this request
• Pray for children who have been traumatized by the violence in Syria. Pray for those who have witnessed gruesome, violent acts against loved ones, family, and/or friends. Pray for those experiencing depression or hopelessness about the losses they’ve witnessed.
• Please pray for children and families affected by chemical weapons attacks, allegedly done by the Syrian government to stop rebel advancements in Damascus. More than 1,400 people, including 426 children, have died in what U.S. intelligence analysts believe were chemical weapons attacks.
• more on this request
• Pray for an end to this horrific violence. Pray Syria’s government and rebel leaders will work towards a peaceful solution to this civil conflict. Pray international governments will seek God’s guidance concerning their intervention in this crisis. Pray they will work together to help Syria achieve peace.
United States

• Please pray God will bring healing to 1-year-old Jace who has been very sick with an undiagnosed illness. Pray doctors will be able to discover what is making him so ill and provide a plan of treatment. Pray for Jace’s family as they care for this little boy

Faces of Children

• Pray for Faces of Children prayer partner Robin Richey, her mother Mickey, and their family during this season of illness and loss. Robin’s mother is in an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s and has other medical complications. Pray Mickey will experience God’s peace and comfort during these last days and weeks. Pray for Robin’s brother and sister-in-law who are with Mickey and helping to care for her. Pray for Robin as she experiences this loss long distance. Give God thanks for the compassion and skill of the hospice agency caring for Mickey.

• Please pray for James, the younger brother of Faces of Children intercessor Tara Kirkpatrick, as he recovers from surgery. Pray the surgery and the previous chemotherapy and radiation treatments will stop the spread of cancer. Pray God will bring complete healing to James. Please pray for James’ sisters and father who are very worried about this beloved brother and son. Pray God will comfort James and his family in this season of illness

• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.

If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net

In the News ... "Church Honors First Responders"

DeAnn Lopez, Reporter
KOSA-TV

FORT STOCKTON, TEXAS - They are the first on scene during an emergency and are often taken for granted.

The community of Fort Stockton came together to honor their first responders.

Sitting in the service, I saw first hand how appreciated and loved these men and women are.

This week marks 12-years since 9/11, and pastor Scott Owens, of North Side Baptist Church, thought today would be the perfect opportunity to honor their first responders.

• read the rest of this story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2013 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the question of Jesus to his disciples, “How many loaves have you?” from Mark 6:38. The book is filled with stories of God’s abundance in the face of overwhelming needs and a scarcity of resources.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 12, 2013

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION WEEK: PRESBYTERY OF NEW JERSEY - Discerning God’s call can be a challenging task, but that is exactly what Trinity Presbyterian Church, East Brunswick, did. Five years ago, a group of members joined together to discern what Trinity’s missional focus should be—what was God calling Trinity to do? After many months of study and prayer, caring for God’s creation emerged as their primary focus. In 2008 Trinity covenanted to “care for creation” as a community of faith.

Trinity continues to take that commitment very seriously. Through worship and education, Trinity connects God’s call with everyday life. Its work to green its facility, through actions such as improving energy efficiency and the purchase of environmentally friendly products, as well as its development of a community garden and a butterfly garden, serve as examples of how Trinity puts its beliefs into act.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2013 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the question of Jesus to his disciples, “How many loaves have you?” from Mark 6:38. The book is filled with stories of God’s abundance in the face of overwhelming needs and a scarcity of resources.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 11, 2013

MCHRISTIAN EDUCATION WEEK: PRESBYTERY OF LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK - Two years ago, a Valley Stream Presbyterian Church (VSPC) youth was randomly and brutally attacked by five young men just two houses from the church building. Through this horrible incident, God has brought blessings of a new and relevant ministry to the congregation and community.

Under the leadership of Rev. Kymberley Clemons-Jones, pastor of VSPC, and in partnership with Memorial Presbyterian Church (Roosevelt) and the community, VSPC now ministers to young males through the W.A.N.T.E.D. Project.

CLICK HERE to read more.